The plurality of mechanisms of gait initiation disorders in Parkinson's disease: Relationships with motor, cognitive and limbic functions

Background: Deficient postural adaptation and freezing lead to gait initiation abnormalities in Parkinson's disease. Gait initiation is characterized by longer motor preparation, which is a marker of increased risk of falling, and by abnormal postural adjustments. Better understanding the nature of these motor preparation disturbances will enable us to adapt rehabilitation and reduce falls.

Research question: Our objective was to describe the different components (in the motor, cognitive and limbic domains) of gait initiation parameters in Parkinson's disease.

Methods: Forty-four patients with Parkinson's disease performed repeated step initiations under high attentional load with decision-making. The proportions of multiple anticipatory postural adjustments and anticipatory postural adjustment errors, markers of abnormal motor preparation, were measured. A logistic regression analysis studied the relationships between step initiation perturbations and the demographic, motor, cognitive, and neuropsychiatric characteristics of the patients.

Results: Multiple anticipatory postural adjustments and anticipatory postural adjustments errors lengthened step execution time. Motor severity explained the multiple anticipatory postural adjustments, suggesting a pathological role. Attentional performance explained anticipatory postural adjustments errors. Demographic and neuropsychiatric characteristics didn't contribute significantly to the abnormal anticipatory postural adjustments.

Significance: Motor disability contributes to the delay in step execution in Parkinson's disease through multiple anticipatory postural adjustments, highlighting the need to target motor preparation improvement in rehabilitation.